Mindfulness Teacher Training

This five-day mindfulness teacher training takes place in Cambridge, England, at Lee Seng Tee Hall, Wolfson College. It is the first Mindfulness Now Teacher Training Programme to be held in Cambridge, and it is approved by the British Psychological Society. The course draws on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and it is led by Tony O'Shea-Poon. It suits people who want to teach mindfulness, professionals who want to bring it into their work, and those who simply want to deepen their own practice.

What to Expect

The training is practical rather than academic. Mindfulness, as the organizers put it, cannot be learned from books alone, so the days combine guided practice, reflective enquiry, teaching exercises and experiential learning. The aim is to develop your own practice alongside the skills to teach others safely, ethically and effectively.

The emphasis falls on the qualities that underpin good teaching: presence, curiosity, compassion, authenticity and reflective practice. Because the programme blends MBSR and MBCT, it prepares you to teach in a range of settings. Graduates teach in healthcare, education, charities, workplaces, private practice and community groups, and many therapists, counsellors and coaches fold mindfulness into the work they already do.

Participants come from a wide range of professions, cultures and life experiences, and the discussions are richer for it. As the inaugural Cambridge cohort, this group will be the first to train here.

After qualifying, graduates are invited to CPD events, specialist workshops and supervision, and to the free weekly Mindful Mondays online drop-in.

About Tony O'Shea-Poon

Tony O'Shea-Poon is a hypno-psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher and tutor, and coach based in Milton Keynes. He has practised meditation for more than 25 years, beginning with Vipassana (insight) meditation, and trained in mindfulness practice in 2012. His own practice is in the Plum Village style, the tradition taught by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

He qualified as a workplace coach with The OCM around 2012, and in 2017 he trained as a mindfulness teacher with the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation. He has been part of its training team for seven years and leads the Mindfulness Now Teacher Training Course in London as well as Cambridge. He also delivers CPD days, professional supervision and coaching, and supports many graduates long after they qualify. In 2019 he gained his Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy.

The Setting

Wolfson College is a contemporary college of the University of Cambridge, set among peaceful gardens beside the River Cam. Lee Seng Tee Hall offers good learning facilities, and the grounds give room for reflection between sessions and for practice outdoors.

Accommodation at the college may be offered on site, subject to availability, though this will not be confirmed until the end of 2026. You are also welcome to arrange your own stay, as Cambridge has a wide choice of hotels and guest houses. Free parking is available at Wolfson College for those driving.

Before You Go

The course is taught in English, and all levels are welcome, from those beginning a mindfulness practice to experienced practitioners and professionals. Formal entry requirements, along with the syllabus, assessment and certification details, are set out on the full course information page, which is worth reading before you commit.

The fee covers the core training, the guided practice and teaching exercises, and access to graduate CPD events, workshops, supervision and the Mindful Mondays drop-in. Accommodation, travel and meals are not included.

Those interested in clinical hypnotherapy may like to know that this course is one of four modules of the Mindfulness-Based Clinical Hypnosis Diploma, which is externally accredited by the National Council for Hypnotherapy.